Family Secrets
by Jewell Trim
Summary: Two of the seven men share a secret. One that only they are privy to. Their relationship at work wasn't the only one they had at the beginning. When someone threatens to reveal their past, what are they to do but solve the mystery at the cost of sharing their family secret.


Chris was pissed off beyond anything he could think. He sat in his fitted suit as he watched everyone prepare for the big celebration. To him, there was nothing to celebrate today. More like mourn. Tired of sitting around, he got up from his seat and walked out of the dressing room to explore the hallways. Chris pulled at his snug tie, to make it come loose. He needed a drink. Unfortunately, the refreshments came after the wedding. The word sounded awful to him and he looked for something to inflict his anger upon.

Spotting his target, he smiled and purposefully tripped the ring bearer who was to be his new step brother. The boy was only seven and was short for his age. Chris knew it wasn't the boy's fault, but he still needed an outlet for his frustration.

The boy shrunk under Chris's intense gaze before the blonde moved away.

Picking himself up and dusting off imaginary dust, the boy tried to fix his appearance. He'd be in trouble if his mother saw anything wrong with it during the wedding. Ezra sighed. After going to his second wedding of his mother's, he was told that this time he'd been asked by his new step-father to be the ring bearer.

His new step-father was stern but wasn't entirely bad. He smiled at him and treated him like a son. The only problem was that he was encroaching on the real son's love and territory. If the older boy saw him as a threat for his father's affection, then he'd be in trouble with his mother.

"Get along with your new brother or else I'll find an excuse to send you to boarding school."

Ezra shivered at the threat he had received from his mother hours before the wedding was to take place.

The day he was first introduced to his future step-brother, the boy looked terrifying. Ezra did his best to smile and be polite, but he never spoke to him.

Today he would however, it was expected that they were to get along. To Ezra though, Chris Larabee was the embodiment of the bogeyman.

Chris pretended to sleep in his seat as the whole gathering stood when the bride walked into the room. He didn't bother to get up or anything. To his great humor, the little boy Ezra was to sit next to him once his part in the ceremony was over. That'd give him something to mess with until the whole painful ordeal was over.

When the pastor asked if anyone had any objections Chris jerked up in his seat as if waking from a nightmare.

"Sorry" he apologized loudly, gaining everyone's attention, "Had a nightmare that I was getting an evil step-mother today. That's just a dream though right." With that he pretended to go back to sleep.

Ezra bristled beside the blonde. He didn't like what the boy said about his mother. Part of him wanted to do something, but making another scene would only aggravate his mother more.

Nothing else happened after the outburst and everyone proceeded to the reception. Chris's father gave him a stern talking to, but after the wedding had went through, Chris had lost his respect for his father and didn't care.

Sitting at the table reserved for the children, Chris was a little annoyed to find he was the oldest among them. A further annoying thing was that Ezra was there too. Though where else he would be being asked mentally.

Before the servers brought the cake into reception Chris had snuck in and decapitated the bride and added some fake blood for good measure. He took his plate from the hall and found a tree to eat it in while everyone searched for him. Yep, weddings sucked.

Ezra stood at the door nervously with his belongings as Chris glared at him. The last thing Ezra wanted was to have the older boy help him, but it seemed that while their parents were on their honeymoon and he was to be moved in during that time, he had little choice. Chris's uncle and aunt stayed at the house as supervisors.

Ezra was thankful for the extra buffers, but it also seemed as if they too were expecting them to find some common ground on their own.

"You can either bring your own stuff up to your room or live down here. I ain't your servant you preppy baby." Chris said as he turned and went back up the stairs to his own room.

Ezra blinked back tears and tried to lift one of the heavy bags up the stairs.

He had done it before during the last marriage. It would seem as though nothing had changed for his position in the family. The runt and the punching bag.

Ezra had successfully carried two of his five bags up the stairs when Chris came out of his room with his earbuds in. He didn't make eye contact and let the older boy pass him.

He heard the boy coming back up the stairs after a few seconds and saw that Chris was carrying two of Ezra's bags. When Chris set the last of the bags in Ezra's room he turned and sent a glare down at him, "No need to start crying like a baby. I may not like your mother, and like messing with you, but it don't mean I'll let any brother of mine, blood or step-brother, cry because I didn't help him."

Chris then walked out of the room across the hall and closed the door to his room.

Ezra wiped his face from the tears he had tried to keep from falling. It was a good thing his mother wasn't here. Maybe his new brother wasn't so bad after all.

Ezra was about nine, two surprising years of living with the Larabee family. No, he was a Larabee now. Even if his last name had been hyphened, he was Ezra Standish-Larabee. It made him happy. Chris wasn't as mean and he had gotten used to the boy and would be the one to mess with the other. Chris would still knock him down or give him a painful wedgie to make him regret it, but he still found it all great. To finally have a sibling who wasn't mean and torturing him was great. The only thing he noticed was that it only lasted when they were alone.

At times Chris would go out with his friends. Ezra was never allowed to come along. It was almost like he was being kept a secret. He'd watch from the window as Chris would ride off on his boke with his friend.

One day he asked if he could play with him and his friend.

Chris turned on him so fast Ezra almost tripped trying to step out of harm's way.

"I already told you 'no'. Make your own friends Ezra."

"But I don't know anyone else besides you. Mother still has me being homeschooled. How am I supposed to meet anybody else?"

Chris looked at his little step-brother. At seven years younger, and with no height to speak of, the boy was definitely too vulnerable to be going out on his own.

"Just stay here. I'll play with you later." Chris said before leaving the house.

Ezra sagged in dejection. Somethings he guessed wouldn't change.

One night, Chris was to go out with his friend Buck when he heard a sound behind him.

"Ezra? The hell are you doing? You're supposed to be in bed."

"You aren't." Ezra pointed out.

"Get back inside."

"Why?"

"Because if you don't I'm going to tell your mother and you're going to get it."

Ezra glared up defiantly at his brother, but the staring contest was broken when Chris's friend showed up.

"You ready Chris? Who's this?" Buck asked.

"No one." Chris said before looking to see the hurt look on Ezra's face. "No, he's my cousin. Ethan. His mom and him are staying at the house."

Ezra frowned in confusion at the lie.

"Is he coming with us?"

"Yes!" Ezra grinned.

"No he isn't. He's going back to bed before I tell his mother." Chris said pointedly.

"Come on Chris. Please. I promise I won't do anything foolish."

"Let him come. He looks like he could use some fun out in town."

Ezra liked Chris's friend, he didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to meet him before.

"No, he's too young and too little. Bed Ethan. Now."

Ezra huffed before running back inside.

Chris prayed he wouldn't go to his father and tell on him.

"I don't see the big deal why he can't come." Buck said.

"It's complicated." Was Chris's only response before they left.

Chris came back well before the sun began to rise. He checked into Ezra's room to see if he was still up. He heard small sniffles and went inside.

"Ez, I'm sorry but you just can't hang out with me and my friends. You have to see that."

"No I don't! I thought you saw me as your brother finally but you just wrote me off. Just like the rest of them." Ezra wrapped himself tighter in a ball.

Chris sat down beside him on the bed.

"I didn't mean to write you off. It's just that. I go hang out with Buck so I can blow steam off about your mom and I didn't want you hearing any of it. I know you love your mother and that's why."

Chris didn't add the part about how he tells Buck that she has no heart and would let any child of hers think that she didn't care about them. Working hard to receive her affection.

"I'll spend the whole day today to make it up okay?"

Ezra poked his head out and nodded.

"Little con artist." Chris smiled and ran his hand over Ezra's face to get rid of the tears. "Already learning who to manipulate people to get what you want."

Chris walked through the board school campus. He was visiting his little brother who was in his first year at his new school. Chris was already a junior at his college and was ready to apply for the SEALs once he was done with school.

Today was his day off so he decided to surprise Ezra. It took him some time to find the boy who had grown finally after puberty finally came for the late bloomer. Ezra was actually in a middle of a fight with two other boys when he found him.

Chris pulled them off and threatened that if they hurt his brother or even thought about it then he would shoot their ass.

The two ran off and Chris turned to Ezra. To his surprise Ezra wasn't excited to see him like he had been the previous times when he'd drop by. He looked almost sad. Sadder then he was when he was getting beat up.

"Why were they messing with you?"

"Don't know don't care. It could honestly be my face that they don't like and they'd corner me." Ezra huffed.

"If you don't like it here then I'll ask dad to transfer you somewhere else, or maybe just a regular private school that meets your mother's ridiculous standards."

"Chris." Ezra looked up at his older brother, "I was the one who started a fight with those two. I needed an outlet to get out my frustration."

"Why?"

"Our parents are getting a divorce." Ezra said, dipping his head.

Chris sighed and pulled the younger boy into a hug.

"I knew it wouldn't last forever."

"I'm surprised it lasted this long." Chris murmured.

"Wait what?" Ezra said, pulling back to look up at the blonde.

"Ez I knew your mother was some kind of con artist the moment she 'fell' for my dad. Only reason I never spoke up was because they suited each other and she brought him out of hid funk. No matter how much I don't like her she wasn't completely horrid."

"So that's why you didn't want to be associated with me?"

"Ez, I will always be your brother even after the divorce. If you ever need me, just look me up. I'll always will be there for you. Promise."

Ezra nodded. The teen looked for something to change the subject, "So how long are you on break."

"How long do you need me?" Chris smiled.

Thirty-four years old. Thirteen years since he had seen or heard from Ezra. He still would keep tabs. Albeit discreet searches to find out what his brother was up to. He was proud to find that Ezra had joined the FBI.

Chris himself had joined the ATF after his three tours as a SEAL. He had been with Buck during that time.

Now Chris was looking to form a team under director Travis's instructions.

He had found a Vin Tanner, SWAT. JD Dunne, computer expert. Josiah Sanchez, profiler and CIA. Nathan Jackson, medic and CIA.

All he needed now was…

His cellphone rang and the address said it was a blocked number.

He answered it and held the phone up to his ear.

"Larabee."

"Chris." Chris recognized the voice instantly.

"Ez."

"I need your help."

"What do you need?"

"Not over the phone. Someone knows."

Chris tensed.

"Are you no longer safe where you're at?"

"I never mind a change of scene and society."

"Alright. I'll see if I can get you transferred."

"Thank you. I'm sorry for having to come out of nowhere and ask you to help me."

"It's fine Ez. Family."

Chris ended the call and went to talk to Travis.

It didn't take much persuasion to get Standish transferred to the ATF division. The FBI seemed more than willing to give him up.

Ezra came two days later and arrived in a late fashion to work. He was dressed in a suit that looked custom fitted. Everything about him looked professional. Chris couldn't help but feel a swell of pride.

"Mister Standish," he nodded his head. "Thank you for coming."

"Mister Larabee." Ezra smiled. "It's an honor to work with you."

"An honor." Buck laughed. "You sound like JD."

Ezra turned and saw the familiar, but much older face of Buck. He wondered if the man remembered him and if this arrangement would be a problem. Doubts were pushed away when Buck greeted him as if seeing him for the first time.

The others introduced each other and then he was shown where he was supposed to be working at.

Chris then took him into his office to talk privately.

"I see you've grown a bit taller." Chris noted.

"That I have." Ezra grinned showing his gold tooth.

"When did you acquire this?" Chris asked with a grin of his own. He tilted Ezra's face to get a better look at the gold tooth.

"Well there was a fight and the savage took my tooth as a trophy. I decided it was time for a change."

"Suits you." Chris sat down in his chair and gestured for Ezra to take the one across from him.

"So what could you not tell me over the phone?"

"There's someone who has been leaving me notes. Saying he knows about our family history. It knows how we decided, more so you, that we were to keep it a secret."

"I mean our parents were together for seven years. People are bound to know."

"That your father married a con artist and your step-brother is a bastard."

"You're not a bastard Ezra."

"I'm sure the last time I checked, I do not recall who my birth father was. His name isn't written on my birth certificate so I can find it."

"Ezra calm down," Chris pulled out a beer bottle and handed it to the younger man. He then got one for himself. "Focus the conversation back to the notes. What do they want?"

"Nothing it seems. Only to torture."

"So it's someone who was pissed off by one or both of our parents. Can I see the note?"

It was a picture of Ezra and Chris with Chris's face scratched out.

 **Ezra and his older brother.** Chris's name was crossed out.

"How many do you have of these?"

"Just two more. These were from the photo album your aunt kept of us."

"I know."

"I called her. She said that it's gone missing about five years ago."

"There was a fire. They luckily weren't home, but they lost everything in that fire."

"Apparently one thing survived it." Ezra sighed.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Wait, you're going to tell them?"

"No, just spin a tale that sounds half believable."

Ezra was sitting at his desk when the secretary came and dropped something at his desk.

Frowning, he picked it up and opened the envelope. It was a picture of Chris in his graduation gown and cap in high school with his face melted by some form of acid.

Shoving the picture back into the envelope he sent a text to Chris before getting up and going outside.

Chris came out to meet him five minutes later.

"Something happen?"

"I got this just now. No return address."

Chris looked at the picture and shoved it back into the envelope.

"So he's just playing with our pictures. He's going to slip up just like he did now. We can use forensics to find out what he used to distort the picture."

Ezra nodded, "But I don't think that alone will help us."

"Yeah, we'll have to wait for more of these to come." Chris sighed.

"I just want this to be over."

"It will be if I have anything to say about it."

Ezra walked cheerfully into work, late as always. He was stopped by the secretary and he smiled at her.

"Good morning, miss Anne."

"More like good afternoon. You got another envelope. You sure are popular. Buck might start to get jealous."

Ezra thanked her and took the big yellow envelope. He went to the bathroom and hid in a stall before opening it.

He barely pulled it out before hiding it again. His stomach flipped and he hurriedly left the building, leaving a confused secretary calling out for him.

Chris knocked on Ezra's door and waited ten minutes before it finally opened.

Ezra sighed and allowed Chris to come in.

"Anne said you left shortly after arriving today. Said it was probably because of what was in the envelope she gave you."

"Please. I know what you're going to ask and I beg you don't ask it of me."

"Let me see it Ez." Chris said it anyway.

Ezra dipped his head and then looked to the coffee table where an envelope sat.

Chris walked over and sat down. He opened it up and pulled out a small stack of pictures. Chris had to take a moment to adjust to try and get through all of them before putting them quickly away.

"I'm guessing these weren't in my aunt's photo album." Chris sighed.

"It was a low point in my life in college. I was just experimenting. It never happened after that one time. I don't know how these were even taken." Ezra said, running his hands through his hair.

Chris thought for a minute. "You're right, this is very specific. We can find the guy in this picture with you. He was looking at the camera. He knows where it's at. You said you were at a low point. He found you. This guy is probably the one behind it."

"What, why?"

"Does he look familiar? Would you be able to find his name in a school year book?"

"I don't know."

Chris took a cropped photo of just the man's face.

"What are you doing?" Ezra asked warily.

"I'm sending a picture, of just his face, to JD. He should be able to find it in the school's database."

"What if this doesn't work? What if this lead goes nowhere?"

"Then we find another."

To both men's relief, it was the one-night-stand's doing. He used to be Ezra's step-brother from one of Maude's previous marriages. He had made it his quest to torture Ezra since he could never find Maude who ruined his family.

Chris sat in the conference room with all of his men.

"So, you're telling me, that this guy right here. Ezra Standish was Ethan your cousin. However, he was in fact your young step-brother named Ezra." Buck said. "Why did you keep it a secret from me?"

"We said a lot of foolish things that weren't right for a nine-year-old to hear about his mother."

"Frankly, while I do love her still somehow, she is deserving of some of those names." Ezra clarified.

"So Ez, you're Chris's brother?" Vin asked.

"Step brother, and it's Ezra."

Chris rose an eyebrow at the correction of his name.

"He's my brother." Chris said as he gave a half smile to Ezra.

"Well I think this calls for a round of drinks." Josiah said.

"I agree." Nathan said as the two got up followed by the others.

When it was just Ezra and Chris, Chris turned to the younger man. "So I guess you aren't little Ez anymore then."

"I'll reserve the right for only you to call me 'Ez'."

A/N: So them actually sharing their past wasn't some tremendous thing they had to keep a secret. I just had it that way. Plus Ezra had a few things he was trying to keep under wraps.


End file.
